California’s chief justice busts stereotypes for San Francisco teens

Any lingering stereotypes that the state’s Supreme Court chief justice was an old white guy with white hair in a black robe were shattered this week when her honor Tani Cantil-Sakauye walked into Balboa High School’s Little Theater.

California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye at Balboa High School

The 53-year-old California chief justice, who might have been mistaken for a mom or a teacher given her understated entrance, greeted teens and school staff with a broad smile as she sat down for a student-led Q&A for Balboa’s Law Academy.

Cantil-Sakauye, the second female chief justice and the first Filipina American, answered questions about her teenage years, her legal education and what it takes to become the state’s top magistrate.

She never aspired to be California’s chief justice, barely aware of what that was until law school, she told the students. But she worked hard in her life and at her career, dedication that led to her appointment in 2011.

“I feel like I’m on Team Justice and I feel like, oh no, I’m team captain!” she said drawing laughs from the 100-plus students who stayed an hour after school on Wednesday to hear her speak. ”It’s like being on a sports team and the win you’re trying to achieve is justice.”

Cantil-Sakauye also talked about her competitive nature, exemplified in a college job as a waitress. The restaurant gave a prize each day to the waitperson who sold the most nightly specials. She usually won.

The chief justice urged students to work hard at whatever they choose to do in life.

“Read everything you can, write as much as you can. Read good writers,” she told the students. “You need to make yourself the most happy, content person you can be.”

The Law Academy students, who take a variety of courses associated with the law, said they were impressed by how approachable Cantil-Sakauye was, how much she was just a normal teenager who later achieved greatness.

“She was really nice,” said junior Dorian Swisher, 16. “She was a really cool person, down to earth. If I saw her on the street, I’d be like, ‘What?!’ She’s just so young and vibrant.”